Cook Like You Mean It
by EviIPaladin
Summary: Jaune, ever thankful for the kindness Pyrrha has offered him, wants to make it up to her. But when you're Jaune Arc, nothing ever goes according to plan.


**A/N:** Wow, it's been a while since I've written anything new. Yet here we are. My plan is to write another one shot (a Blake and Adam centric one) and then finally finish An Unusual Friendship so I can finally have that mess finished. Until then, enjoy the Arkos, I suppose.

* * *

Jaune doubled over, wheezing heavily. Barely managing to lift his arms high enough, he wiped what felt like a gallon of sweat from his brow. His messy blond hair was even more of a disaster than usual and the salty perspiration was rolling down into his now slightly bloodshot blue eyes. He wanted to blame the ridiculously heavy clothing he wore on this, but part of him had to admit he wasn't in near good enough shape to keep up with his trainer.

Looking up from the ground, he saw she was still further ahead of him. Judging by the distance, however, he knew she had slowed down and even stopped earlier. When they started the training, Jaune had felt so angry whenever that had happened. Why was he so much worse than her? Why would she even bother wasting time with him, seeing how much of a failure he was? Did she do it to make herself feel better? But after the dance…

Jaune could not shake the big burning ball of guilt that hung in his stomach whenever he thought back to the dance. He had been so selfish, so self-absorbed… To everyone. He had pursued Weiss relentlessly. He had ignored all the signs that she had not been interested in and, judging by what Ren had told him afterwards, they hadn't exactly been subtle signs. Not only that, but he had ignored his partner, his trainer, his closest friend.

That she had said yes when he finally had gathered the courage to ask her out after he had been so callous towards her not once, but twice spoke volumes on how forgiving she was. Jaune took a deep breath and clenched his fists. There would not be a third time. He would prove that he was good enough to deserve that forgiveness, if he wasn't an Arc. No… As a person. It didn't matter who he was, Pyrrha deserved everything and Jaune would do nothing if not try to be able to offer her that.

"I think we can stop for today," spoke a soft, gentle voice. Jaune looked up and saw Pyrrha's bright green eyes and sincere smile so close. Small moments like this made Jaune feel weak in the knees. Well, that or it was all the training finally getting its long-term revenge on his body. She was so incredible in just about every way.

"N… No way…" gasped Jaune, pushing his balled up hands against his knees so he was standing up straight again. "This… is… just a… warm-up, right?"

That made Pyrrha giggle and the pain shooting through Jaune's body seemed so far away. However, that didn't mean it wasn't there. As Jaune's legs gave out from under him, Pyrrha acted in a flash, grabbing each of his arms and slowly lowered him to the soft grassy ground.

"Th-Thanks," chuckled Jaune, immediately grabbing his flank and wincing.

"Look, I'll carry you back to the infirmary," said Pyrrha.

"N-No. Are… Do you mind if we just… Sit here for a moment?"

Jaune's heart went aflutter as that sweet smile grew on Pyrrha's face. As she sat down next to him, it felt less like butterflies and more like a jackhammer. He felt his face flush but he could always blame that on the training if he had to. But more importantly… "Thanks."

"For what?" asked Pyrrha, watching Jaune slowly go from a sitting position to reclining on the ground.

"For everything. For helping me with training. For saving my butt… who knows how many times."

"13." Jaune looked over at Pyrrha and watched her immediately look away. "I-I'm sorry!"

Jaune chuckled, glad to not immediately be blinded by pain this time. "No, it's just… I thought it would be more. But speaking of sorry…" He rolled over so that he was looking her in the eyes. Those bright beautiful emerald green eyes… He felt his throat tighten with fear and sorrow. "I'm sorry."

"Look, if this is about not being able to finish today's training, you have been doing it for—"

"No, no. I'm sorry for… Other stuff. For keeping secrets from you. For not taking your feelings into account." Jaune looked down at the grassy earth. "For being such a bad friend."

A firm hand dropped onto his shoulder, drawing Jaune's eyes upwards. Pyrrha was smiling but there was a seriousness in her gaze. "You are not a bad friend. You made mistakes. Very…" Pyrrha sighed. "Stupid mistakes. But that is in the past now. Dwelling on them will only hurt you and stop you from improving. So I accept your apology… on the condition you learn from your mistakes instead of simply dwelling on them."

"S-Sure," stammered Jaune, looking back up at the noticeably less clear sky. "Maybe we should get going back…"

Pyrrha nodded and leaped back onto her feet. Smiling, she offered an outstretch hand to Jaune. "Want me to carry you back?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, I… I think I can do the rest of the run!" As he stumbled back onto his feet, Jaune felt a surge of energy and determination wash over him. Pyrrha had done so much for him… He definitely would do something to make her proud. And it would all start with finishing today's training…

* * *

"There you go," said Pyrrha, as she lowered a rather embarrassed Jaune onto his bed.

"Th-Thanks." So maybe it wouldn't start with a successful finish of the day's training. But the, admittedly, nice and gentle trip back gave him time to consider how to really make it up to Pyrrha. And, in the crazy case that everything stopped going wrong for maybe three minutes, Jaune figured he had it. "So, uhh, Pyrrha…"

"Yes?"

 _Oh come on, Jaune. Don't back down now._ Taking a big gulp, he went to look Pyrrha in her gorgeous eyes. Suddenly the gulp felt less empty and more like he was trying to swallow his own foot. "I was, uhh, wondering… Is _pot-au-feu_ alright?"

"…Sorry?"

 _Great. Amazing. Way to go, ladykiller._ "I mean…" Jaune reached an arm back and rubbed his neck so hard he was sure his flesh would be a bright red. "…Do you mind if I cook you something? I-I want to pay you back for being such a good trainer… Such a great partner… Such a great…" The word was stuck in Jaune's throat. "Girlfriend."

As he closed his eyes and waited for the wonderful release of rejection, he failed to notice Pyrrha's face light up. "O-Of course! I'm sure it will be absolutely spectacular!"

"Y-Yeah, it'll be the best thing you've tasted." Letting out a nervous chuckle, Jaune felt himself relax. Perhaps a bit too much. "I don't mean to brag or anything, but I was the chef of my family. My cooking is _très magnifique_!"

Pyrrha giggled as Jaune continued to spew French he barely remembered from his childhood. If nothing else, he was just glad to see her so happy. Now all he needed to do was hope that he could find halfway decent ingredients and that he could rope another chef into helping him brush off the rust.

* * *

As Jaune pushed open the door to the library, the silence seemed like a deafening barrier to him. He always felt uncomfortable in this world of books, both historical and fictional. The deeds of the past and the deeds of potential made him feel like he was being crushed underneath his own incompetence. He shook his head and looked around. He didn't have time to be worried about his insecurities, he needed to recruit a friend into helping him with his current predicament.

If Jaune remembered correctly, Ren was working on a report for Professor Oobleck, which would mean he would be in the History section. The blonde winced but continued to move towards that area. The smell of musky books made his stomach squirm and the sheer quiet made his hair stand on end. _How could people find this comforting?!_

"Psst!"

Jaune almost yelped as he leaped a foot off the ground and spun to face the voice. He found the Chesire-like grin of a young redhead. "Nora!" he snapped, doing his utmost to keep his voice down. "You scared the ever-loving Dust out of me!"

Nora giggled at the wide-eyed expression on Jaune's face. "Oh, c'mon, don't be such a baby." She stood on her tippy-toes and looked over Jaune's shoulder. "Where's Pyrrha?"

"She's doing some training with Yang, I think."

Nora looked puzzled. "Wait, you never come to the library unless Pyrrha drags you here. Unless…" Her turquoise eyes narrowed as she peered at Jaune. "…You are here to pull off the greatest library heist this school has ever seen! And you need me to be the brains and the brawn and—"

"No, Nora, I…" Jaune looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. "I need Ren's help to cook Pyrrha dinner."

Nora's eyes went wide and her toothy grin was wider still. "Oh my Dust!" she squealed, picking Jaune up in a big hug. "You two are finally doing together-together stuff! Oh I am so excited!"

"K-Keep it down," wheezed Jaune, deciding it would be better to not inform Nora just how tight her hug was.

"Ah, yes, library rules…" Nora set down Jaune but was still bouncing up and down with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait to help you two lovebirds!"

"Th-That's nice, but I really need to talk to Ren…"

"No time!" Nora grabbed Jaune's hand and looked him dead in the eyes. "If we are going to prepare Pyrrha a wonderful six-course meal, we need to hurry up and get the ingredients! No time to waste!"

"W-Wait!" exclaimed Jaune, as he was dragged through the library, earning countless disapproving looks for his yelp.

* * *

Jaune had yet to find a reason to be as thankful for Pyrrha's strict training regime as he was after being dragged by the ever bubbly Nora across the entire campus to arrive at the student kitchen. He was out of breath and wheezing, sure, but before the training, he's pretty sure he would've just been an unconscious corpse being dragged by the time they reached the halfway mark.

"Geez, have you been slacking in your training?" asked Nora, as Jaune sat down against the wall.

"N… No…"

"Well, in any case, stay right here. Nora Valkyrie, master chef, will go grab some ingredients!"

And just like that, the redhead flew off, like a speeding bullet from a gun. As his breathing steadied, Jaune realized that, at the very least, it offered Jaune a moment of rest and respite. "…I never told her what ingredients to get…"

As he slowly stumbled to his feet, Jaune pulled himself up by grabbing the nearby counter. Not too long ago, this whole endeavour would make him want to quit. Seeing how much energy, power, and drive his classmates had over him would make him feel useless and pathetic. But now, he felt motivated. He wasn't sure if he would ever be as strong and energetic as Nora or as capable and skilled as Pyrrha. But if he pushed himself just as hard as they did, he could at least close the gap and, more importantly, help them and others when they needed it.

"Hey Jaune, look who I found!"

Jaune turned to see Nora and her surprise guest and the smile that had been slowly growing on his lips vanished. Nora had brought another short acquaintance, whose icy glare froze him in place. Weiss Schnee harboured a rather clear and present dislike of Jaune, not that he would blame her. But despite the gravity of their meeting, Jaune couldn't help but snicker. Wearing her usual attire, Weiss wore one small addition that made the whole situation a tad silly.

"What do you think _you're_ laughing at?" spat Weiss, the large white chef's hat on her head wobbling as she spoke.

"N-Nothing!" said Jaune, as he saw Nora's cheeks bulge in an incredible show of self-restraint. "W-What are you doing here?!"

"Well, _I_ am preparing some pastries for my team. I'd ask what you are doing here, but Nora has told me all about it." The usual cold look Weiss gave Jaune seemed to heat up. "And there is no way on Remnant that I am letting you feed Pyrrha Nikos trash food. So, I will be overseeing the cooking tonight."

"Th-That's nice and all but—"

"No 'but's. I will not risk you poisoning such brilliant talent."

"Th-Thanks," said Jaune, as he watched Nora point at a large tray, filled with an wide assortment of ingredients. "I guess…"

"What was that?!"

"L-Let's get started!"

Nora grabbed the tray with a big smile on her face. "Yeah, no time like the present! Let's get cooking!"

* * *

Jaune wiped his brow as he sautéed the onions, keeping an eye on the cooking beef. Despite the sweat, he was grinning ear-to-ear. The smell and heat was comforting and nostalgic. So many nights working in the kitchen at home, where he felt in control. His family genuinely enjoying his cooking, always thanking him for his effort. The feeling suddenly went cold as he realized that they wouldn't have had it for almost a year now. Not that that was what they would be missing the most. He felt his stomach turn and it wasn't in hunger.

"Pay attention."

The voice snapped him back as he turned to see Weiss watching him, a stern look on her face. "S-Sorry!" Jaune returned to watching the onions and main course's progress.

"You can't cook distracted," said Weiss, matter-of-factly. "So focus on the dish and let your worries bother you afterwards."

"You're right," Jaune muttered but a new feeling of guilt gripped him. "Weiss, I-I'm sorry for how—"

"Does no one at this school ever listen?" Weiss's tone was harsh but not cruel. "This is not the time or place for that. But if it will help with your cooking, I will consider accepting your apology. Now focus, for the love of Dust."

"Right."

Over the next little while, Jaune continued to work on the main course while Weiss and Nora went to work on the appetizers and dessert, respectively. There was very little conversation in the kitchen as the three worked on their craft. The smell of cooking wafted out the door and brought in a few visitors, who were immediately driven out by an irate Weiss or tossed out by a giggling Nora. Jaune didn't even hear them enter, zoning in on doing his utmost to make this the best dish he could.

Once it was finished, Jaune smiled. The scent of beef stew filled his nostrils with immense delight. "Seems like you do have some talent in you," said Weiss, with a soft smile, having sampled a little of the stew. "Good work, Jaune."

Nora tasted it too. However, she seemed slightly puzzled after tasting it. "It's missing something…"

Jaune panicked. Had he forgotten something? He ran through his mental list of the recipe but it all seemed to be there.

Nora's eyes lit up. "Oh, of course!" She hurried back to her station and grabbed a bag about the size of her head. "It needs the Nora Valkyrie Special!"

Before Jaune or Weiss could move to stop her or ask what the Nora Valkyrie Special was, she was already at the stew, raising the bag as high above the pot as she could. It was then that Weiss and Jaune spotted the label: Candy Sprinkles.

"Nora, no!" they shouted.

"Nora, yes!" was her cackling reply as she turned the bag upside down and emptied the contents into the stew. She then took a second sample and smiled. "Perfect! Another dish fixed by Nora Valkyrie, master chef!"

* * *

Jaune slowly walked down the hall, carrying the pot, which was rather heavy with the stew. After Nora 'fixed' Weiss's appetizer, she had retaliated by freezing Nora's pancake dessert. It was all ruined and Weiss demanded that Jaune throw away the dinner. But could he really show up without anything? Hence why he decided to take the stew up. _Maybe we could eat around the sprinkles?_ he had thought, somehow convincing himself. But he knew now that there was no redemption at this point.

As Jaune knocked on the dorm room door, he was greeted by a breathtaking sight. Pyrrha was wearing a gorgeous red dress, a simpler version of the dress she wore to the school dance. And here Jaune was, still wearing a slightly stained apron and his usual hoodie and jeans, holding a pot full of beef stew and sprinkles.

"Smells divine!" said Pyrrha with a smile and Jaune could only feel worse.

"M-Maybe we should just get something from the cafe…"

"Nonsense! I heard that people were lining up outside the kitchen, hoping to get a taste!"

Sighing, Jaune followed Pyrrha in, bringing the pot over to the table. The room was quiet, as Ren had picked up Nora after the cooking was finished so they could finally finish their project for Professor Oobleck. Not only that but the lights were off and there were candles at the table. Jaune was speechless as he found a spot to place the stew. Despite the coolness of the room after his stay in the kitchen, he felt far more sweat begin to leave his body.

Pyrrha returned to the table, two bowls and spoons in hand. Jaune swore he smelled a soft perfume over the smell of the food in front of him. She was so exceptional in every way… All Jaune wanted to do was make her happy. Which brought him back to the botched dinner. "I-I know it smells good but…"

"'It tastes even better'," finished Pyrrha. "You really don't need to keep selling me on this, Jaune. I'm sure it'll be…"

And that was when Pyrrha took the lid off the pot. The standard colours of beef stew were all there. The dark brown of the base and meat, the vivid oranges and greens of the assorted vegetables, the bright rainbow colours of the sweet candy sprinkles…

"Is… Is this how the French cook beef stew?" asked Pyrrha, looking at Jaune, whose head was hung in shame.

"That's the… the… Nora Valkyrie Special…"

There was complete silence in the room and Jaune began to feel claustrophobic. He made an idiot out of himself in front of Pyrrha and had dared to offer her the dish even though he knew it was ruined. But his ego wouldn't let him throw it away as he had been so proud of it.

That's when the silence was broken by one of the best sounds Jaune had ever heard. It was quiet and soft at first but it quickly grew in volume. It sent shivers down his spine, but definitely not in a bad way. As he slowly raised his head, he saw Pyrrha laughing. No, it was more akin to howling, as tears began to fall down her face. "P-Pyrrha?"

The laughter simply continued. Moments came where it would seem to wind down but then Pyrrha would look at the stew again and it would begin anew. But there was no cruelty to it, only sincere glee.

After what felt like hours, Pyrrha finally caught her breath and began wiping away the tears. "Th-Thank you, Jaune."

"Sorry?"

"I… I needed that."

"But what about dinner?"

Pyrrha smiled, her bright green eyes lighting up. "Well, it just so happens that Ruby isn't the only sweet tooth around." Pyrrha took a big spoonful of the stew and put in her bowl. "But the least you could do is join me in this."

Jaune nodded and looked at the colourful concoction. He gulped but scooped some out for his own bowl. He had to admit, it did smell delicious. Lowering a quivering spoon, he found a chunk of meat with a sprinkle somehow embedded in it. _Here goes nothing…_ He took a bite and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he was rather surprised. It… actually tasted pretty good! He caught Pyrrha's gaze and saw a similar surprised look. "Maybe I should have Nora help cook more often…" laughed Jaune.

"The two of you work good as chefs," smiled Pyrrha. "Give her my compliments."

"I'll pass those along to Weiss as well." Jaune froze as he realized what he had just said.

Pyrrha put her spoon down and looked at Jaune with an eyebrow raised. "Weiss helped as well?"

"She insisted," explained Jaune, rubbing his neck. "I… I tried to apologize but I don't think she's ready to accept it yet. Not that I blame her…"

"What did you promise me earlier?" Pyrrha's voice and face were stern and Jaune paused to think.

"The best meal of your life?"

"That you wouldn't dwell on the past. If Weiss is not ready to accept your apology, that is her decision." Pyrrha softened her tone. "Just treat her with respect and kindness and I'm sure she'll eventually accept your apology, if she feels it is genuine."

Jaune thought about it. "You're right. Of course."

* * *

As they finished the meal, Jaune took the dishes away. "Thanks, Pyrrha. For everything. The training, the advice, the kindness…"

Jaune's rambling thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Pyrrha's face up close. Her olive skin looked so soft and flawless. Her emerald pools seemed to sparkle and enchanted his soul. A stray red lock dangled in front of her nose, swaying softly. Her lips shone in the candlelight as they got closer and closer. Jaune felt his breath stop as her mouth was placed on his, clumsier than he expected. But the moment for him was perfect.

When the two finally parted, Jaune still found himself short of breath. He wanted to say something. _Tell her she's beautiful. Tell her she's incredible. Tell her anything, you tongue-tied dope!_ "Th-Thanks for that as well." _Great job._

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh. "You're welcome, Jaune Arc. But next time, maybe keep the recipe simple."

"Y-Yeah, of course."

* * *

"Hey Jaune!"

As Jaune finished lacing up his sneakers, he looked up to see Ruby waving to him, happy-go-lucky as usual. "Oh, hey Ruby!"

"Getting ready for another morning run with Pyrrha?"

Jaune nodded, standing up. "I mean, I have to start pulling my weight eventually."

Ruby laughed. "No offense, but you have a long way to go."

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, I know…"

Ruby's eyes went wide with realization. "Oh, how was dinner last night?"

"What are you talking about?" Jaune blinked in confusion. _How did Ruby know?_

"Weiss told us all about how you tried to pull off a big romantic dinner for Pyrrha but then Nora poured sprinkles on everything…" Ruby looked a little sad. "Weiss said it all had to get thrown out but I would eat that…"

"Well, don't tell Weiss, but I didn't throw _all_ of it out…"

"Jaune Arc!"

Jaune flinched as the high-pitched screeched reached his ears. Either Weiss had a Semblance for supersonic hearing or Pyrrha thanked her for the help with the meal. Either way, it would be best to make like a banana and split. "Listen, Ruby, thank Weiss for the help yesterday."

Ruby looked back to see the pint-sized heiress making her stomping approach. "Well, she's clearly on her way so you can just wait an—" Ruby looked back and noticed that Jaune had already started his run. "Ohhhhh…"


End file.
